


The Wolf among the Dogs

by Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War



Series: Diamond Dogs: The Golden Age [1]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 06:32:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10893696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War/pseuds/Vengeful_Dogs_Of_War
Summary: She was left to the dogs, and they raised her, trained her. They were her pack, and this Wolf owes it all to The Boss, and his Diamond Dogs.





	The Wolf among the Dogs

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm back, life happened, I'm REALLY sorry. I figured a self contained story was best, so I decided to just make on in what I imagined as post Cipher Diamond Dogs. Any and all feedback welcome, sorry if its rough around the edges, and any new ideas welcome. If anyone wants me to I can finish A Tale of Silence. Happy Reading.

She was cold, and hungry as she lay on her back, dimly staring up into the desert sun. Bodies lay all around her, their corpses feasted on by flies. She wondered if they would do the same for her when she died. The refugees around her had been heading towards a supposed safe haven, a demilitarized zone held by a coalition of private forces, and she had joined the group. The soldiers hunting them had also heard, and sent roving bands to kill any who would seek their shelter. Only her small height had afforded her enough time to hide among the bodies before a bullet found her, as they killed everyone. Now they were searching the dead for valuables, and would soon find her, dirty and alone, wedged against the coarse desert rock. She was to tired to move, and decided to pray, something her parents did before they died. She wasn't sure who they prayed to, or how to do it. She sent up a silent plea for a quick death as the boots drew closer to where she lay.   
A gunshot echoed across the canyon, and someone screamed, except it was different. Gunfire sprang up all around her as the soldiers started screaming at each other to take cover. Curiosity overcame dread, and she crawled over the bodies to watch. There were at least 10 soldiers firing up at the cliffs, until a bullet took another one in the head. She thought the soldiers would win, until she saw them. They rose from the bodies like specters of death, 4 soldiers all in black. The first threw one over her shoulder before disarming and knocking out two more. Two of the soldiers grabbed the soldiers furthest and began to choke them out as the fourth threw a flashbang into the remaining 5, as a sniper round tore into one of them. The other four quickly fell to the black clad soldiers, who quickly began tying up their captives. One pressed a hand to an ear before speaking  
"Execute Theta sweep Commander? Affirmative." She said  
The rest of the team heard, and began to search the bodies around the soldiers, kicking each over and checking their pulse. Dread seized her again, these were no different than the others, carrion birds fighting for dominance. She had to do something, anything, before they killed her. She saw a rifle that one of the soldiers had dropped roughly thirty feet from her, tucked under his corpse. She knew she would have to run fast or they would have her, and she would die. She grabbed a rock, ignoring the slimy feel that had to be blood on it, and threw. The soldiers all turned, guns raised at the sound, and she ran, panting as her legs pumped. The bodies were scattered all around her, and she had to vault several times before she reached the gun.  
"Hey! Over there!" She heard a voice call, but she just kept running.  
She grabbed the gun and spun, aiming it at the four soldiers who were running after her, and braced it against her shoulder. It was heavy, so she crouched, knowing that is she dropped it they would kill her. The soldiers had stopped, and were looking at her cautiously, the closest 20 meters away.   
"Now take it easy," one said, "we aren't here to harm you. Just set the gun down."  
She snarled in response, before turning the safety off. Her father had only been in her life for a few years, but taught her the basics of how to shoot from his time in the police. One soldier took a tentative step forward, and she moved her gun towards him, it swaying slightly as her arms got tired. A different soldier took a step forward, and when she turned to him and snarled a different one took a step forward. They were treating her like a cornered animal, and she knew once they got her gun she would die. As the next took a step forward she snarled and shot once at his chest, her shot went wide and hit him in the shoulder. They all charged, and she emptied her magazine into the ground, and ran as they dived for cover amongst the bodies. It was over, she shot a comrade, they would kill her for sure. She knew she wouldn't be able to outrun them, but she refused to die easily. She made for a valley, hoping she could lose them amongst the rocks.   
She heard yelling behind her, and she kept focusing on running, her legs burned in pain and her breath came in ragged gasps, each gasp searing her throat and lungs raw, and the heat of the desert crashed over her. Before she could reach the canyon a sudden body slammed into her from the side, and she hit the ground hard, rolling. Rocks cut her arms and legs, but she was rising almost immediately, cursing her luck. A figure grabbed her arms and shoved her down, looking into her eyes. It had a skin-tight suit with a black hexagonal pattern, and the mask was a similar design, with a laser-sight mounted on the side. She tried fighting, and kicked her legs, but she was unable to remove the figure, who sat silent atop her as she slowly stopped struggling.   
"Just kill me like they did the others." She said  
By now the others had caught up, with the one she shot holding his shoulder. One crouched beside her head, and motioned for her to look at him.   
"We aren't going to hurt you. We're here to help refugees, so if you agree to come quietly we can do this nice and simple like, otherwise if you try to run we'll have to tie you up after the Commander catches you again. If you're going to be all mellow like, nod your head."  
She nodded, certain they would kill her, but instead the Commander got off her, and removed her balaclava, before signing a few things to the soldiers. The Commander was fair skinned with brown hair in a pony-tail and had green eyes.   
"Yes ma'm. I'll lead the drills myself. Thanks for helping us out with this one, always a sight to see you cover 400 meters in 20 seconds." The female soldier said  
"Hm."  
She walked along with the soldiers, looking at the patches on each's soldier. They sparkled, and she realized each had a tiny diamond sewn into their suits. The Commander grabbed a device from a woven suit pocket, slinging her sniper over her shoulder. The rifle got her attention, as it was huge, and was as big as she was. A voice came through the device.  
"This is Angel, successful hunt Commander?"  
"Hm."  
"Glad to hear it, find the Coyote?"  
"Ngh."  
"Damn. ETA 5 minutes."  
"Hmm?"  
"Storm on the seafront, take it out of my tip."  
"Ugh."  
The Commander put the device away and tucked her balaclava away in a pocket and removed her canteen, pouring water over her suit and shivering uncontrollably for a few seconds. She found it odd.   
"Who the hell are you guys?" A captured soldier asked  
"Phantoms. Demons. Ghosts. Take your pick, soon you'll be one of us." One soldier replied.   
"You're them! The ones that use a nation's own soldiers against it, using black magic!" Another said  
"Not black magic," The soldier glanced at the Commander, "well, mostly."  
That received a snort from the the Commander, who was currently adjusting the sights on her sniper rifle while aiming. The helicopter touched down, it was a big troop transporter, with room for ten people to sit, complete with a small medic station, side gunner, and a comm out-let. Three additional soldiers dressed in combat fatigues helped load up their prisoners, 7 in total. The Commander started up the ramp, and beckoned for her to follow. She was seated close to the comm station, where a soldier sat in a swivel chair with a headset. The Commander sat close to him, and used a spare earpiece to receive information. She found it hard to track the Commander's conversation since on one end there was only grunts, why she did not know.   
"Hey Commander?" One of the new soldiers called  
"Hm?"  
"What should we call the kid?"  
She snarled at being addressed indirectly, which elicited a laugh from a few of the men.  
"Don't ask the Commander dumbass, unless you want her code-name to be Urgh."  
"Ngh."  
"No offense Commander. How about Wolf? She snarls like one, and its in keeping with the whole dog mantra."  
"Maybe Green Wolf? She has green hair, it could work. What do you think Commander?"  
The Commander studied her for a minute, and she met her stare, challenging her to grunt her worst.  
Instead she got a thumbs up, which surprised her. Green Wolf now had a name again, she had been called so many different things by the refugees she had forgotten her real one since her father died. For the rest of the ride she slept, exhausted and tired from the days events.   
The Commander woke her up as they landed. The others were already being marched down the ramp by armed guards, and the other soldiers were outside the helicopter. Green Wolf followed the Commander down, and found they were on island, with soldiers, buildings, and fortifications all around them. Green Wolf had never seen so many soldiers, even in the warzones she had witnessed in Iraq. A few new soldiers approached, the female in the lead wearing casual military slacks, and the others were dressed in the same black armor as the soldiers on the field.   
"Quiet you silent snake," The female called as she clasped forearms with The Commander, "Welcome back to Forward Base Dragon, its been a long time friend."  
Quiet gave a cheerful hum, before motioning her head towards the prisoner line, and making several signals with her hands.  
"Yeah, I'll get them sorted out. How'd the recruits you take out perform?"  
Another flurry of hand signals.  
"Not bad then. I miss the days when I was your spotter, the cqc scrapes I got into getting Snake out of scrapes were the golden days. Now its papers upon papers upon papers and not a day goes by where something doesn't break on this shithole."  
Another few hand signals and a punch in the shoulder.  
"Yeah, you and Snake needed your space," she winked, "besides, if he needs reliable people to run his ever growing network of stations, I'm glad to help."  
A chuckle, then a gestured towards her.   
"Who's the kid? Another stray dog of war?"  
"Hm."  
"You know the protocol, Ocelot wants anyone you drag out of the sandbox brought in to him for debriefing."  
"Ngh."  
"I know, the XO and the Cat are never far apart. You gotta deal with him."  
Another set of signals.  
"Fuck, I don't like him either, but if the Boss says he is okay, than he is."  
"Hmm?"  
"Yeah, the Sea Dog is coming in to resupply in a few months, you could hitch a ride back to Mother Base on that. I need my choppers for running supply runs to the PF's in the DMZ."  
"Hm."  
"No problem, glad to help a friend. Hey, a favor?"  
"Hm?"  
"Check in on V, will you? There's alot of talk amongst the old guard, how he's changed. Just make sure he's all right? I worry he's spreading himself too thin."  
"Hm." A nod and a hand placed on a shoulder. A moment between soldiers, a sad reminder of how the years drag on without them. Green Wolf had seen this look between those families that had split to survive the journey to safety, the knowledge that one might die before they meet again.   
Quiet turned, and beckoned for her to follow. She was given a couch in her officer's quarters, which were spacious and overlooked the ocean. Quiet began to hum as she cleaned her rifle, laying it on a makeshift desk and cleaning every part with meticulous precision. Green Wolf watched for several minutes, before finally gathering the courage to speak.  
"Why do you clean your gun so thoroughly?"  
"Hm?"  
"Your rifle, doesn't it work even if you don't clean it?"  
"Ngh."  
Quiet reassembled her rifle, and leaned it against the wall near the bed. Green Wolf grabbed her other rifle, this one was lighter and held a bolt action, and brought it over to her. Quiet looked up and smiled, before placing it on the table. Before Green Wolf could slink off again, her hand grabbed her by the wrist and brought her to the rifle. Quiet silently moved her hands, gently coaching her through each step, helping her disassemble the rifle piece by piece. Green Wolf found the work soothing, and she began to hum along with Quiet as they cleaned each piece together. It was slow, but neither wanted to rush. With a few corrections, Green Wolf was able to piece it back together largely independently, and she took the rifle in her arms and began to lean it against the wall when Quiet shook her head.  
"Why not?"  
Quiet beckoned her to bring the rifle. Green Wolf followed, cradling the soothing weight in her arms. Soldiers looked at her curiously as they made their way through the building and out into the sunlight of the island. They passed barracks, mess halls, armories, supply cabinets, communications outposts, fortifications, before finally stopping at a shooting range. Several soldiers in combat fatigues were receiving a lesson on firearms basics from a clean shaven soldier.   
"Listen up! You may think you know firearms, how to aim one, how to shoot one, how to care for one. You are wrong. With the exception of several ex Cipher members here on staff, you all come from either back water guerrillas, under trained Iraqi squads, or some half rate private army. That is assuming you didn't haul ass to our recruitment center in the black market, coming in wide eyed. None of these backwater excuses for military outfits know a damn thing about proper training. You lucky sods are going to have the time of your life learning your lessons today." The man was instructing when he saw Quiet making her way to the range, and he immediately saw a golden chance.  
"Commander! Care to teach these puppies how a real Diamond Dog shoots?"  
"Hm."  
"Appreciate it Commander. Listen up puppies, you are about to receive a demonstration from the closest living thing to computer precision. Quiet here can kill you from 15,000 meters through the eye. During Operation Rusty Grave I personally saw her shoot 15 men on the ship we were capturing from 2,000 meters during a rainstorm with waves so high they made Poseidon shit himself. If you can pry your heads out of your collective asses for several seconds, she could teach you more than you'll ever have enough skill to use. Commander, the floor is yours."  
Green Wolf nudged several Diamond Dogs aside as she watched the demonstration. Quiet picked up a smaller sniper rifle, one that looked more proportioned than the behemoth on her back.  
"The AMRS Sniper Rifle, deadly semi-automatic that is a personal favorite of our field personal, capable of becoming a deadly carbine at mid range to a sniper at longer ranges, it will serve you well."  
Quiet eyed a target down the range at the 200 meter mark, and sighted in. She pulled the trigger, and a bullet hit the figure in the left chest.   
"Ngh."  
She quickly adjusted the scope, before motioning to the drill instructor to begin. He pulled a lever, and three targets popped up. Quiet hit them all three times in the head before they popped down a few seconds later, her hand barely leaving the trigger finger as she kept firing. She kept that pace up effortlessly as the entire range's targets popped in and out of cover, each receiving a bullet for the trouble. The only breaks came when she had to reload, which happened with such speed it only lost a few seconds each clip reloaded. The soldiers all watching in silence for a minute as Quiet worked, the steady crack of the rifle becoming to sound more like a rifle than a sniper. When she ran out of bullets, each target had a small hole in the head, center of chest, and throat. The bullets were so tightly grouped you couldn't see each individual shot, and each target out of the 30 was hit. Quiet stretched, and dropped the rifle. The drill instructor saluted her, and she gave him a small nod as she grabbed an ammo box and crossed the range for an empty target range. Quiet beckoned, and Green Wolf followed, awestruck at the performance.   
"Now, I'll try and put that into words. Keep your arms steady, breathe evenly, and don't jerk your rifle as you..." the instructor continued on behind them.  
When they found an empty range, Quiet had Green Wolf lay on her stomach, before handing her the lighter rifle. She set it against her shoulder and peered down range, where one target was standing, a straw dummy at 50 meters. Quiet lay next to her, and watched silently, motioning for Green Wolf to fire. She took aim, lining the red dot on her sight onto the chest of the figure, before pulling the trigger. The kick from the rifle in her arm caused her to yank the rifle to the left, and the bullet hit the arm. Quiet gently set the rifle against her shoulder again, and moved her submissive hand to the rifle's lower underbelly to provide support. Green Wolf tried again, lining her shot up with the chest again. She yanked the shot less this time, and it hit the left side of the chest. Quiet mimicked slower breathing, and Green Wolf's next shot hit him nearly dead center. Feeling pretty proud of herself, she tried aiming for the head, only to miss and go wide right. Quiet sighed and corrected her grip once more, and slightly massaged her shoulders, indicating she should relax.   
For the next week that became routine, Green Wolf and Quiet would head down to the range at 8 in the morning, passing the Diamond Dogs on their morning PT runs, and would practice until lunch, from which Green Wolf would eat a MRE while pestering Quiet with questions.  
"What was it like?"  
"Hm?"  
"Working with the Demon?"  
Quiet chuckled, and made a heart with her fingers.  
"How do you do the thing, where you disappear?"  
Quiet tapped the side of her head.  
"Could you teach me how to do that?"  
Quiet smiled and shook her head. Green Wolf swallowed a bite of food, disappointed.  
"Do you think I could be as good as you one day?"  
"Hm."  
"Really?"  
"Hm."  
"The Sniper Green Wolf, imagine that."  
Quiet snorted.  
"Green Sniper?"  
Quiet covered her mouth with her hand.  
"Sniper Wolf?"  
Quiet gave her a thumbs up and ruffled her hair.  
"I like it too. I should probably get to class. Thanks Quiet."  
Sniper Wolf spent her early afternoons with a tutor, a Diamond Dog who used to teach as a part time job before joining the military. She learned to read, write, do basic math, use common sense, and speak sign language. The later afternoons she was in the academic wing of Forward Base Dragon, learning the same curriculum other Diamond Dogs recruits did. She could treat a chest wound, field strip anything in the armory, navigate by the stars, survive in the wild for months, cover her tracks, and learned the basics of cqc.   
At the end of three months at Forward Base Dragon, Sniper Wolf had learned the basics of being a Diamond Dog. Even though she was no-where near the best at anything except sniping, she felt happy. The men had eventually welcomed the 11 year old orphan amongst them, sharing stories and insults with her as Quiet began to force her into the basic Diamond Dog PT drills. She learned the names of dozens of the men on base, each who had his story, his tale, and his lessons to impart with her. Often times Quiet would have her mediate or practice cleaning her rifle before enforcing a curfew at 10. Sniper Wolf knew Quiet spent the nights alone, not needing sleep. Sometimes she took some time off to visit with the commander of the base, or other old friends in the ranks. Most of the limited free time Quiet left Sniper Wolf with she spent digging around for stories about the Boss. Some soldiers had been personally "recruited" by the man, and claimed to have never heard him coming. Others fought with him across South Africa and the Middle East as he fought to secure various groups of armed militants and warlords under contract unofficially form the United Nations. Every story painted the same picture, A man who would burn thousands to save a single Diamond Dog, silent, skilled, fair, and protective of his men. Each soldier she met claimed without hesitation that they would follow the Boss through hell and back.   
This made the day when the ship arrived at the end of the third month even more nerve racking, as it meant within two weeks she would arrive at Mother Base, the former ruin where Big Boss had dragged Cipher down to hell and rebuilt MSF into the elite widespread war organization that was Diamond Dogs. Sniper Wolf boarded the ship, her tranq rifle slung over her back, ready to meet the legend. The trip on the boat was hell, as Sniper Wolf got seasick, and spent the first week slumped over the side hurling for the morning. Quiet had enough sympathy to give her a towel to lay on as she made Sniper Wolf snipe seagulls following their ship from the crow's nest all afternoon.   
The ship was crewed by Diamond Dogs, and they treated her well enough, recognizing the patch that marked her as a puppy, or official trainee, on her shoulder. The Quartermaster at Forward Base Dragon had given her several sets of combat fatigues, and they were well worn. Quiet became a mentor, taking over her schooling, making sure she knew subjects like algebra and small unit tactics. Sniper Wolf's sign language accelerated by leaps and bounds once Quiet forbid every other Diamond Dog on the ship from talking to her for a week, forcing her to seek Quiet out for conversation. Despite the irony, Quiet was a good person to strike a conversation with, happy to indulge Sniper Wolf with stories of Diamond Dogs and its growth throughout the years. They became friends, and Quiet would occasionally teach her more about the various members of Diamond Dogs, like Ocelot, Kaz, and several of the outpost commanders, all of which were members of the old guard. She rarely mentioned Snake at those talks.  
"You keep saying old guard? What does that mean?"  
"Pre-Cipher Defeat."  
"So why do you no longer fight with Big Boss?"  
"I do. He sometimes needs reliable people elsewhere."  
"Will I fight with Big Boss?"  
"If I think you're ready."  
Quiet, tired of signing, returned to cleaning her rifle while Sniper Wolf loafed on the couch. Although at this point they could talk through sign language fluently, Quiet always seemed to prefer to keep conversations somewhat short, perhaps as a force of habit.   
Motherbase came into view slowly that day, at first it was simply another speck on the horizon, but then as the ship came closer it became a sprawling oceanic fortress with dozens of platforms. Sniper Wolf lay flat on the Crow's Nest, waiting as she watched the base grow bigger in her scope. Quiet found her there mid-day, and was thoroughly amused at the eagerness she was displaying. By now Sniper Wolf could make out the individual Diamond Dogs, who were all moving from post to post with purpose. The Ship slowly but surely made its way alongside an extended platform, which held docking clamps. Quiet and Sniper Wolf made their way off the ship first, and were greeted by an armed guard patrol as well as an orderly.  
"Well back to Motherbase Commander, Ocelot would like to see you on command deck 4."   
Quiet nodded, before sprinting towards the base, her body disappearing and reappearing 50 meters farther down. Sniper Wolf sprinted after her, glad for the PT training she had been forced to endure. They passed several squads unloading crates of ammunition, food, weapons, clothing, and other supplies. The orderly just sighed and muttered  
"I don't get paid enough for this shit."  
The sea air was crisp, and Sniper Wolf was glad to be able to stretch her legs after spending weeks at sea, and spent the time looking at the various platforms. A network of helicopters criss-crossed overhead, each heading towards a hanger platform or off into the ocean. Soldiers did push-ups on the walkway between the harbor platform and the command deck, watched over by a drill instructor.  
"Come on! Put your backs into it. If one of you drops before we reach a thousand you all are swimming from here to the quarantine platform. Thats it, keep pumping those arms soldier, 883, 884."  
Quiet was talking with two soldiers on the command deck when Sniper Wolf caught up. They were two bearded men in their late 30's, and each wore a patch with a wrench on their combat fatigues.   
"Is the suit functioning well during long term use?"  
"Hm."  
"Is it interfering with your range of movement or sniping abilities, do you have trouble breathing?" The other said  
"Ngh."  
"Thanks Commander, the Boss was pretty clear he wanted to make sure your kit was functioning properly. If you have any adjustments you want made let us know, its always a fun challenge to kit you out."  
"Hm."  
"Do you want anything developed for her? The Boss gave you a rank so you could use it."  
Quiet eyed her over, and pulled out her device again. After a few quick flicks she put it away. One of the Diamond Dogs grabbed his, and raised an eyebrow.   
"Sneaking suit, and limited use idroid. Interesting, sounds like a job for Punching Falcon, he can always work wonders with sneaking suits. We'll report back in a few days Commander."  
"Ocelot is waiting in his catpost Commander. Good to see you back home, the boys spruced up your quarters once they heard you were coming back." The other said before they both left.   
Quiet raised an eyebrow, before motioning her to follow. Sniper Wolf was lead into the bowels of the platform, through steel hallways that housed a myriad of information storage and processing centers, and a constant stream of logistical officers. Sniper Wolf and Quiet stepped into a rather spacious office, where a man with grey hair was bent over a map, his cowboy outfit a weird look for someone who was buried in intelligence data. He looked up as Quiet coughed, before turning his gaze towards Sniper Wolf.   
"So that's your disciple."  
"Hm?"  
"You should know you can't surprise me by now. I wanted to interview her personally."  
Quiet snorted  
"Your field reports are always vague Quiet. Its almost like you enjoy giving me puzzles to piece together. So don't complain when I drag you in here to solve them."  
Quiet gestured to the space around here and raised an eyebrow  
"Intel platform was getting crowded with all the extra hands needed to coordinate with our shell PMCs in the pacific. I requested more platforms be constructed, but Miller claims all resources are currently being used constructing facilities elsewhere. You'd think he'd realize you can't hide anything from me."  
Quiet nodded towards Sniper Wolf, who turned towards the Cat. He directed her to sit at the desk, which at least had a clean enough space to place her elbows. Ocelot paced in front of her, something that was certainly an act, he gave off the look of a man where not a single movement was wasted needlessly.   
"So, should I call you Sniper Wolf?"  
She didn't respond.  
"Quiet rubbing off on you? What do you know about a man called Coyote?"  
"Nothing."  
"Have you at least heard a rumor or two from your parents?"  
"They were too busy dying to gossip."  
Quiet chuckled a bit at that.   
"It says here you shot Mangled Raccoon, who taught you how to use a Iraqi assault rifle?"  
"Quiet covered that pretty well." Sniper Wolf said  
Quiet snickered behind her, obviously approving of this game of cat and mouse she was playing with Ocelot.  
"Before that. Did anyone in your group have any previous experience with guns, who taught you?"  
"We all had alot of experience getting shot at, if that's what you mean."  
Ocelot took the comment in strife, before leaning over to look her in the eyes, and Sniper Wolf shriveled slightly under that gaze.  
"Withholding information isn't going to help anyone, Wolf. If you ever want to be a Diamond Dog, you're going to have to learn how to take one for the team and cooperate with your brothers. Do you know anyone or anything related to Coyote?"  
"No, I only knew that the DMZ was where we were heading and that soldiers were hunting us."  
"Hmm. Very well. Quiet, the Boss himself wanted to see you, suppose it couldn't hurt to take the Wolf with you."  
Quiet nodded and they both exited the building, and headed towards the first command deck. As they were walking across the strut to the third platform, a group of Diamond Dogs sprinted up the stairs and directly into them, knocking Sniper Wolf over as she fell into the pile of grunts and combat fatigues. Quiet forcefully yanked a soldier to his feet, and he almost shit himself. Before Quiet could even grunt a question out he was already apologizing.  
"Sorry Commander, we were just in a rush to join the demonstration on the combat platform. The Boss is testing some of Buffalo's commandos. Word is Slippery Rhino is having a betting ring set up, and I gotta put some money on the Boss. Sorry for bumping into you, it won't happen again."  
Quiet raised an eyebrow, before dragging Sniper Wolf with her as she sprinted across the multiple platforms, at this point Sniper Wolf wasn't even sure her feet were touching the ground, and her body got pins and needles whenever Quiet leap forward again. They passed several more groups going towards the platform, and they arrived to see a massive crowd gathered around a small raised arena made of shipping containers. Quiet leap up onto the third tier of the sniper tower, and Sniper Wolf had to simply follow her up via the ladder. Once there, Quiet gave her a pair of binoculars, which she gladly accepted.   
The Boss was wearing black combat fatigues, while his opponents were dressed in sneaking suits and red berets. Big Boss was facing 3, and a woman in black fatigues was standing as referee. The crowd around the containers had to have at least 150 Diamond Dogs, most in standard fatigues, with the occasional lab-coated member among them.   
"Listen up! Rules are simply: Knock Out is the only way out. Stay in the Ring, No permanently damaging attacks. If anyone of you manages to knock out the Boss, all of you win. If you all get thrashed, you all lose. Begin."  
Sniper Wolf watching in amazement as Big Boss moved, blocking two hits from different directions before unleashed a fury of punches and kicks and sent the third staggering backwards. He sidestepped a grab by the second before grabbing his waist and slamming him into the container with enough force to slightly dent the metal. He was lightning, and although the men were experts, he was a demi-god. Nothing touched him, and within a minute every commando was out for the count. Another 3 hopped up onto the container, and dragged their comrades off to a waiting medical team.   
These three advance together, hoping to put more fists in the air than Big Boss had enough hands to dodge. He used to the first punch to yank one off balance before sweeping his legs out from under him. The second and third strikes he dodged, before kicking at the knee of the third, forcing him back. He used this window to strike at the second, who managed to block or dodge three strikes before taking a robotic fist to the chest, which Big Boss used to swipe his feet out from under him while at the same time slamming his head onto the container. The first kicked at Big Boss's calf, but he sidestepped before kicking the man in the chest hard enough to roll him several times over. The third struck with his foot, catching Big Boss in the chest, sending him staggering backwards. He pressed the advantage with a punch aimed at the solar plexus, but Big Boss grabbed the arm and twisted it behind the commando's back, yanking upward, breaking it. As he cried out in pain Big Boss slammed him back first onto the container, knocking him out cold. As the second tried to rise, Big Boss grabbed him into a choke hold and quickly finished him off.   
"He's amazing!" Sniper Wolf said  
Quiet hummed agreement, before the next match started.   
It lasted another two hours, with over 40 Diamond Dog Commandos facing him, and none winning, with Big Boss barely taking any hits. The crowd cheered as he took his leave, parting the crowd on his way to the command platform. Soldiers could be seen arguing over betting pool results as the crowd slowly dispersed. Quiet and Sniper Wolf caught up with the Boss on the command platform's first deck. He looked back just in time to have Quiet slam into him with enough force to send them toppling over, and for a second Sniper Wolf was confused, they were fighting. Quiet and Big Boss each grappled for control, rolling around the platform. Sniper Wolf sat there puzzled until Quiet came out on top, and Big Boss was laughing up at her.   
"Quiet." He whispered  
The rest was spoken without words or signals, but suddenly they were kissing on the deck, and a few Diamond Dogs passing by grinned knowingly as the pair slowly disengaged. Sniper Wolf slid up next to them as they regained their footing. Big Boss was panting, but both looked eagerly at each other. He looked down at Sniper Wolf, and a question formed on his lips. Quiet pressed a gloved finger to his mouth, and started to lead him towards the inner platform, and Sniper Wolf followed, thoroughly confused. When they reached a room, both entered. Sniper Wolf tried to enter and ask a question, but Quiet gently told her to get out with a crude hand signal.  
"DD, privacy." Big Boss grunted, and soon a massive white dog walked out of the room, and the door slammed shut behind it. Sniper Wolf looked at it in fearful awe, it was huge. It slowly padded up and began to sniff her, and she held perfectly still. It huffed and lay outside the door, apparently satisfied. Cautiously, Sniper Wolf sat beside the animal, and was still for a minute. Finally, she found enough courage to try and pet the wolf. It sighed and lay its head on her lap, and Sniper Wolf smiled, its fur was warm and soft. She must have fallen asleep like that, because the next thing she knew Big Boss himself was shaking her awake, the wolf still sleeping in her lap.   
"He must like you," Big Boss observed "follow me, I'll show you to your quarters. Quiet gave you permission to use hers."  
Sniper Wolf didn't speak, didn't know what to say to a legend like him. Even shirtless and with unkempt hair he still radiated a deadly aura of calm and control. He took her to the medical platform, where he took her to a closed off room just below the platform's surface. Inside there was a bed, desk, weapon rack, sun-roof, music player, and table with three chairs. Photos of Quiet and various Diamond Dogs covered the walls. Snake was in almost all of them.   
"The walls are soundproof, so you can practice your skills throughout the night. If you need anything just let a staff member know. We'll begin testing you tomorrow." Big Boss turned and left, leaving her alone in the closed off room. She left her tranq rifle in the weapon rack, before laying on the bed, still tired from the day's events. To her surprise the wolf jumped up to the end of the bed, and began to nod off. Smiling, Sniper Wolf likewise nodded to sleep. 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet woke her sometime later, before telling her to report to combat platform 6. Sniper Wolf was surprised, Quiet was wearing only a swimsuit, mesh leggings, and a combat harness, which was different from her usual hex body suit. The day was warm, and Sniper Wolf began to walk over to the combat platforms. Diamond Dogs recruits wearing the same puppy patches were jogging across the platforms in morning PT drills, and guards had just changed shifts. Helicopters soared through the air as the day began again. Several RnD members were testing some kind of drone on the bridge of the combat platform as she passed. On the actual combat platforms several dozen soldiers were drilling in CQC under the watchful eye of several instructors, who walked among them giving tips or berating laziness. Sniper Wolf walked past Diamond Dogs field stripping weapons, practicing defusing mines, shooting at test dummies, or just relaxing in the shade of the combat platforms before she reached the sixth platform. There life wasn't as normal, as the only people on the platform were Quiet, Big Boss, and 5 Diamond Dogs in sneaking suits. Sniper Wolf walked up to the Boss and saluted.  
"Reporting as ordered."  
"Quiet thinks you're ready. You've got one mission, prevent these 5 from getting onto the bridge to the next platform and crossing it. I'll observe the attackers, and Quiet will record your form. You have 10 minutes to pick a spot or lay traps. Use anything on that table over there."   
The 5 soldiers began heading towards the back of the platform, and Sniper Wolf walked over to the table, where her tranq rifle lay, alongside several standard issue sleeping mines, a pair of night vision googles, a tranq pistol, and two stun grenades. She had worked with all of these with Quiet at Forward Base Dragon, and was happy to see nothing lethal. Quickly she strapped everything in place on her fatigues, before walking over to the 5th deck to survey her choke-point. It was a two layered bridge, which meant they could try and sneak underneath her.   
Sniper Wolf decided to mine the bottom passage, as it was the easiest way to cross, and lay mines at the end stairs as well as under the piping. Quiet wordlessly followed as she worked, which made her nervous, she didn't want to disappoint the woman who trained her by failing her first test. She picked the third story of the sniping platform on platform 5, as it gave her a clear view of the entire platform of platform 6, and let her see under the bridge. As it was day, she let the night vision goggles rest on her forehead. Quiet nudged her to indicate the test had begun.   
The metal grating was cool under her fatigues, and Sniper Wolf let the sniper barrel rest on the railing as she crouched, and waited. After 3 minutes a she saw a single figure slip into view on the side of the platform. Casually she hovered her sight over him, and waited as he reached a corner. The Diamond Dog took out a pair of binoculars, and began to search the platform. Sniper Wolf used his stillness to quickly and effortlessly send a dart into his head, knocking him out cold. Quiet hummed her approval, and Sniper Wolf returned to her search pattern, alternating patterns often as Quiet had taught her. After another minute, she saw a Diamond Dog slip over a railing and into cover behind a support for the raised area of the platform. He poked the crown of his head out slightly before moving quickly for the next piece of raised cover. Sniper Wolf caught him mid-stride with a headshot, his pace was easy compared to trying to hit Quiet at full sprint as a training drill. The third Sniper Wolf found crawling up a pipe near the bridge, and once he reached the top she shot him. The forth was crawling along the far edge of the platform, and Sniper Wolf hit him once in the shoulder, before catching him again in the leg as he sprinted for cover and dove. Quiet gave a small sigh of disappointment. The fifth slipped past her, but stepped on a mine, and was out cold. Quiet lead her down to the bridge, where Snake was waiting, alongside the 5 recently woken soldiers.   
"Nice work. Quiet wants you to join us on our next mission, I'll approve it. Dismissed." Big Boss said, unusually curt.   
Sniper Wolf was to elated to care, she was finally going out on a mission with Big Boss. She practically floated on air on her way back to her quarters. There she found a new sneaking suit and a small device laying on her cot. The suit was a good fit, and it felt lithe and supple. The first thing she noticed was how she made no noise as she moved, something that fascinated her to no end. The device proved a mystery on how to activate, so she left it on her desk before changing back into casual DD wear and heading to the mess hall. Quiet caught up with her at 15:00, and they spent the afternoon reviewed basic coursework. Quiet was proud, and even brought her a small cake to celebrate.  
"Where did you get this?" Sniper Wolf signed  
"Rank has uses." she signed back  
Sniper Wolf didn't know what to sign, she had never had a cake before. The fact someone had thought of giving one to her was new, alien. Instinctively she cut it in half with her combat knife, before sliding a piece towards Quiet, who politely shook her head and returned it. Not needing further encouragement, Sniper Wolf finished within minutes, before trying to think of anything to say.  
"When will Big Boss take me on a mission?" Was all she managed.   
"Likely 2 days from now." Quiet answered  
"How do you know?"  
"Big Boss is going to meet with a Diamond Dog agent tasked with embedding himself in a rival PMC."  
"So I'll be playing security?"  
Quiet had given her a crash course in body guarding, one that was expanded on slightly by a few spare Diamond Dogs aboard the ship, but Sniper Wolf wasn't sure she was up to scratch for a high stakes covert operation. Quiet put a hand on her shoulder, and Sniper Wolf calmed. Quiet's green eyes met hers, and she smiled. Quiet had become a mentor to her, but also a mother figure.  
"Thanks. I'm just nervous I'll let down the Boss, and you."  
Quiet nodded.  
"I was the same. I find training soothes and relaxes the mind."  
The next day Quiet took her through a rigorous series of physical and mental drills that tested her focus, concentration, reaction time, CQC skills, accuracy, bullet grouping, and everything else. Sniper Wolf found the work relaxing, as the familiarity of a rifle and Quiet's presence made her doubts shrink. Quiet left her the next day, telling her she had to make preparations of her own. Sniper Wolf knew she had joined the Boss when D-Dog interrupted her martial arts drill and demanded attention. She laughed and let the wolf sleep on her bed that night, enjoying its company.   
Sniper Wolf woke early, at 1:00, and began stretching and preparing for deployment. She put her sneaking suit on, and slid her combat knife into its sheath. Her rifle slung over her shoulder, spare ammo everywhere she could stuff it, Sniper Wolf set off. The first difference she noticed was the lethal M-2000 was heavier than her tranq rifle. She was last to arrive at the helipad, with Big Boss already there, dressed in a sneaking suit with a sniper rifle over his back and a shotgun at his hip. Quiet had dressed in her hex bodysuit again, and was leaning against a railing, humming to herself. Three other Diamond Dogs were checking their equipment, re-adjusting sneaking suit straps or rifle under-barrels. Sniper Wolf didn't recognize any, as they wore balaclavas.   
Pequod arrived 10 minutes later, the helicopter ramp descending, and the two on-board specialists saluted as the Boss entered, Quiet on his heels. Sniper Wolf recognized the layout of the chopper as the same that brought her back from Iraq. She sat next to the Boss in silence, as he flicked through several menus on his Idroid. Quiet had shown her how to work hers last night, but she still didn't quite have the hang on it. Sighing, Sniper Wolf picked up a mission briefing packet from the comm station as they took off, before sitting back down and beginning to read.   
The mission was simple, Big Boss wanted another PMC to fall under Diamond Dog's leadership, unofficially. He had sent in one of his best corporate politicians, Frenzied Gator, to gain the position of CEO. After 5 years, Gator was currently the director of the company's board, and was on track to become CEO of Damask Risk Management. He had urgently requested a meeting with the top level clearance of Ocelot's coded intelligence network, claiming to have unearthed drastic news relating to Diamond Dogs. The Boss decided to go personally, and had hand-picked the rest for various skills. Each was silent in the helicopter ride, which lasted several hours. Sniper Wolf dozed, before being woken up by one of the Diamond Dogs as they began their descent. All was normal until the helicopter took a massive tilt to the right, and shot flares out each end.   
"We're being targeted by a SAM! There's gotta be at least 5 covering the airspace, I can't land." Peqoud shouted behind him.   
Each Diamond Dog nodded, before reaching under their seat for the parachutes stored there. Sniper Wolf was latching hers on before she knew what she was doing. The constant training's purpose became clear, as she felt nothing but cool detached confidence as she lined up behind a Diamond Dog and prepared to jump. Pequod dropped the ramp and Quiet was the first one out of the back, and Snake followed. The wind rushed past Sniper Wolf as she ran and jumped into the air. Missiles streaked toward the helicopter, flying past them as they dived. She could see the figures of the other Diamond Dogs vaguely in the night sky. Sniper Wolf slipped her night vision goggles over her eyes, and surveyed the ground for potential dropsites.   
They were currently over a fertile valley, and a small forest was below them. Sniper Wolf angled with the Boss as he descended towards the outskirts of the forest. Once she was roughly 1500 meters up she pulled her chute, and glided towards the ground. Sniper Wolf hit with a thud that knocked the wind out of her as she rolled to her feet. Quickly she took out her pistol and surveyed her surroundings, looking for any enemies, before checking her equipment was secured. Nothing had fallen out that she could tell, so she pulled up her idroid. 5 other arrows appeared, each the location of a Diamond Dog, and containing the name of the idroid's owner. Big Boss placed a marker on a nearby hilltop, and ordered a regroup through his earpiece. Sniper Wolf would have to walk 500 meters through the forest, so she took a swig of water from her canteen before proceeding, holding her pistol at the ready. The forest had little ground foliage, and her night vision googles let her see the various indigenous creatures as they scampered away from her. Sniper Wolf arrived at the RV unmolested, and Quiet was already there, sitting on a rock surveying the surrounding forest. She gave Sniper Wolf a curt nod as she took up position on the opposite side of the hill. Two Diamond Dogs arrived next, one taking up a third position on the perimeter while the other took out a map and began to try and figure out where they landed. Big Boss arrived next, carrying the third Diamond Dog over his shoulder. He grunted as he lay the soldier down on the crest of the hill. Sniper Wolf glanced over her shoulder at him, concerned.   
The soldier's suit was cut up, and one of his arms was bent at an unnatural angle. Their navigator set aside his map and walked over to kneel next to the man.   
"What am I dealing with here?" He asked  
"Chute deployed late. Rough landing." Big Boss said  
The Diamond Dog began to inspect his charge, feeling his arm before beginning to test other areas of the body. His patient moaned in pain, and Big Boss stuffed a piece of his cut sneaking suit into his mouth.   
"Anyone have hostile contact en route?" Big Boss asked  
Quiet shook her head.  
"Negative." The third Diamond Dog said  
Sniper Wolf shook her head.   
The medic finished his check, and grabbed a small first aid kit from his belt, setting it on the grass and opening it.   
"He has a broken arm, two broken ribs, several cuts, a minor concussion, and multiple bruises." He said  
"Can he be moved safely?" Big Boss asked  
"Yes. Won't be much use to the mission though with his dominant hand broken, its probably best to have him cover out exit."  
"Wolf, he'll be your spotter."  
"Yes sir." Sniper Wolf said  
They began to move several minutes later, heading north. Their navigator/medic claimed the initial meeting point was 3 kilometers north. They moved fast and low, dodging two patrols of the PMC's forces. It was obviously a trap, but Big Boss was hesitant to change the mission into an assassination of Frenzied Gator. The meeting point was a small clearing, where three vehicles were parked, and at least 10 men were waiting. Sniper Wolf took position up on top of a raised rock 100 meters away, while Quiet used her superhuman abilities to scale a large tree silently.   
"What's the call Boss?" A Diamond Dog asked  
"Leave Gator alive. Take as many as you can alive, but do not hesitate to kill." He replied  
Sniper Wolf took aim at the soldier standing next to Gator, and watched as Big Boss and the two other Diamond Dogs grabbed the outliers and began to choke them out. One began to turn to face a Diamond Dog, and Sniper Wolf quickly switched targets and put a bullet in his head. His brain exploded out the side of his skull and he fell over. His remaining comrades jumped in alarm just as Quiet shot another, a bullet entering through his throat. Sniper Wolf pumped the bolt back and reloaded the chamber before dropping a soldier about to grab his radio as Quiet shot another, leaving two non essential soldiers left. Big Boss shot one in the head with his pistol, and he slumped over asleep. The other was shot with a silenced assault rifle burst from a Diamond Dog. Frenzied Gator was grabbed by the medic Diamond Dog, and the clearing was still once more. He was forced to his knees as a gun was pressed to his head. Sniper Wolf watched the exchange through her scope.  
"Start talking. Why did you betray the Boss?" His captor asked  
"I didn't. I came to report that Zamask Risk Management recently discovered evidence that Diamond Dogs secretly runs several other respected PMC's as fronts to run troops and supplies. They planned to use this information as leverage in order to force you into giving over your African base network. I managed to steal the evidence from the CEO, but I had to kill several security guards and two board members. I destroyed the cameras but had to throw the internal investigation off my trail, so I claimed to have found evidence that you would meet here. It was my only chance to arrange a meeting under such close scrutiny. The disc is in my front chest pocket." He said  
Big Boss reached inside and removed a small hard drive, which he pocketed. Frenzied Gator looked at the ground.  
"I failed my mission Boss. I almost exposed everything. If HE found out what you were doing, what you're planning, it would have cost us everything again. I don't deserve to be spared, kill me and cover your tracks."  
Big Boss forced Gator to look him in his eye, and the man trembled.   
"No Diamond Dog dies today. How far until the helicopter can safely approach?"  
"The airspace for two miles is covered in any direction. That area is being sweeped by several armed kill teams. Zamask Risk Management's CEO didn't want to take chances after learning he had a mole inside his organization."  
Big Boss nodded, unconcerned.   
"He has an armored blockade erected around the area you landed in, you won't be able to sneak past it! We'll have to call for backup and hide until they arrive." Gator urged  
Big Boss said nothing, but simply grabbed a small pack from his rutsack and attached it to Gator, who was pulled of the ground as a massive balloon emerged from the pack, before he was yanked upwards into the clouds. Sniper Wolf gawked as he repeated this with his captives, before strapping one onto each Diamond Dog soldier. They were silent as they were launched into the clouds, obviously having experience with this maneuver. The Boss approached her next, and she gulped as he began to attach the pack to her waist. He noticed and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and Sniper Wolf relaxed. His scent was comforting to her, and he was calm and careful as he pulled the release, and Sniper Wolf was suddenly yanked upward by her lower back, her arms and legs swinging lightly in the breeze. Suddenly the ground zoomed away from her, and the force of this caused her to black out.  
When she awoke she was on a table in a medical bay. A Diamond Dog nurse walked over and began to check her vitals.   
"Where the fuck am I" Sniper Wolf asked  
"Medical Platform 3. The Boss ordered that we check you for any damage, those balloons aren't very comfortable for younger soldiers," the nurse said, "but they are safe, as you know by standing here."  
"I wouldn't call that safe."  
"Its better than a bullet."  
"Fair enough, how long was I out?"  
"Its been four hours since you landed."  
"Where are the others?" Sniper Wolf asked  
"Big Boss made sure you were in good hands before leaving to do paperwork. Quiet went off to bring your weapons and gear back to your quarters. Crouching Ox and Raging Wallabeast I have no idea, and Rancid Wasp is in the bed next to you, on so much pain meds he's in orbit."  
Sniper Wolf grunted as she swung her legs off the table.  
"Can I go?"  
"You may, although you shouldn't try that stunt again for at least three days." The Diamond Dog warned  
Sniper Wolf didn't respond, but simply trudged her way over the two decks to the her quarters. Her sneaking suit was clean and laying on the table, and her weapons were all polished and in their respective weapon racks. Lying next to her sneaking suit were several pairs of combat fatigues, but instead of the normal puppy patch on their arm sleeves, they had the Diamond Dog logo as well as the words Private written on the other sleeve. Quiet stepped up behind her, and patted her on the back.  
"So its official?"   
A nod.  
Sniper Wolf hugged her mentor, who awkwardly patted her on the back and waited for her to finish.   
"Sorry, its just a happy moment. To know I've found a family again."  
Quiet smiled, before signing to her.  
"This is just the beginning."  
Sniper Wolf laughed  
"A new beginning. A new life. I love the idea."  
Another smile from Quiet, who turned to leave. Sniper Wolf sat on her bed, listening to the sounds of Motherbase, of all the various Diamond Dogs training, running, laughing, repairing, assembling, complaining, shooting targets, and much. Not long ago Sniper Wolf had thought her family was a few dead siblings and parents that had died before she had even known them. She knew now that this was her family, that this was her home. She was a Diamond Dog, and she was happy for the first time she could remember.


End file.
